2008 Expedition to the Descendants of the Tribes of Menashe & Ephraim in the Indian Subcontinent
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFtree house 224 88(photo credit: Courtesy )
The first expedition will depart in November 2008 for the Indian subcontinent with the aim of meeting with the dispersed descendants of Menashe and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph.
The 12 day journey will travel to the border area between Burma, India and Bangladesh in northeast India, to the states of Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, and then continue to the northern plains of the state of Uttar Pradesh.
During the first part of the expedition we will meet with members of the Shinlung ethnic minority, who live in the mountainous regions of Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, and who claim descent from the tribes of Menashe and Ephraim.
Within breathtaking, exotic and remote landscapes there live many communities of the Kuki, Mizo and Naga tribes. All the groups are distinct from one another. Although the majority is Christian, a minority has begun the process of returning to their Jewish origins during the last century. Both groups believe in their historical connections to the tribes of Menashe and Ephraim. The story of their wanderings from Assyria through central Asia; and then to China from where they were banished southward to Burma until their arrival in this area, is prominently interwoven in their collective narratives as it is in the geographical research of the area and its inhabitants.
We will visit numerous villages where we will meet small, warm Jewish communities as well as the Christian populations, and we will learn the stories of the culture and faith of the region. We will spend a Shabbat in the largest Bnei Menashe center in Manipur where we'll experience the local Shabbat customs as well as the yearning for personal contact with other Jews and with the State of Israel.
We will also meet with various local researchers who will enlighten us with their unique perspectives regarding the historical identity and cultural heritage of the various groups.
For further details about the initial expedition, click here.
This is a sponsored article. The article should not be considered as advice.
